"They are magnesium flares on parachutes," wrote user Headhot. "They are used to light up battlefields. A single mortar is launched, then the three flares ignite, and drift down on parachutes. Then they burn out and go dark. Odds are there was some national guard training going on."

"Yes, it's skydivers, specifically the US Army's Golden Knights skydiving team from US Marine airbase Miramar practicing for this weekend's Alamo Airshow," said another commenter.

Has all the fun been ruined? Perhaps — but it's worth noting that there's still no explanation for the lights above NYC, which happened in broad daylight and did not float down over time. According to author Stanley Fulham, the aliens are here to warn us about climate change — and these visits are simply the beginning of their interactions with us.